Good for you. You got lucky. That hardly means this isn't an issue. I don't even go looking for stories like this, yet come across them on a monthly basis. It's an issue, it exists, and the gaming industry is poorer for it. Tired of CoD clones? More women in the industry can help fix that.

As I am the only one who posted with my relevant experience within the industry, I can only surmise that this was personally directed at me. However, at no point did I say "I never saw this". In point of fact, I stated that I had seen it but in very small percentage of the population. You aren't "lucky" when the claimed rate of incidents doesn't match more than two decades worth of actual, direct experience. What I questioned was the veracity of the rate of incidents claimed. It stinks of hyperbole with the most vile of intent.

Let me reiterate this again, so it sticks out to you; I did not say that such behavior does not exist. In fact, I said quite the opposite. Got that clear in your head?

Do you know why you come across articles like this on a "monthly basis"? Because it generates clicks, targets a demographic for advertising and makes for eye grabbing headlines within that demographic. Call me cynical if you wish, but the first priority of any business is to generate profit and websites like Polygon aren't run on good wishes and happy thoughts.

As for your comment about "CoD clones", I know how to fix it for myself and it has nothing to do with gender. I simply do not purchase the games that do not interest me. However, there is very clearly an incredibly significant portion of the gaming population who disagrees with me and purchases those games to the tune of billions of dollars annually. White knighting this issue isn't going to change their tastes.

Further, we are seeing a more varied gaming ecosystem right now. With Kickstarter, Steam Greenlight and other platforms, plus easily available engines and assets like Unity and UDK, literally anyone can make any game they wish. Whether it is successful or not is another matter entirely but the option and availability are there. For good or ill, games like Elite, Star Citizen, Kerbal Space Program, Braid, and many others have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. I bet EA and ActiBlizzard would have loved to have their development costs offset so spectacularly as Star Citizen has.

I guess I'm just too old and have been around the block too many times to give a damn about this "issue".

Someone once said to me that "Humans never solve any problem until it becomes an absolute crisis from which they cannot escape." That's proved true on every major social, financial, industrial, national and global problem I've seen in my life and those I've read of historically. Unless and until it directly impacts a significant amount of a total population, no effort will be made to rectify it. Specifically on this issue, I'd be generally surprised if it effected any more than 3% of the population globally and 15% of the population nationally within the US. I'm sure the national percentage will skew up or down dependent on the total volume of population within any other country.

I worked in the MMO industry for a very long time, since its birth really. I used to have a joke within the office that was adopted broadly because it was universally true about online service users. That joke was "It's not a good day on the internet until my race, sexuality, gender, and alleged promiscuity have been called in to question." Quite frankly, it was laughable to see complete strangers get worked up in to a frothing rage over things that were undeniably trivial and it was hilarious to read the creativity they'd use to try and insult me based upon the criteria mentioned above.

Looking at the article, the amount of bias is extremely evident and that bias is intentionally preserved by the disabling of comments. Partly, I am sure, to prevent those whom would call bullshit on it and refute it. I grant, however, that it is also partially to prevent the trolls from flaming for kicks.

In my time within the game industry, I worked with a lot of women. Just like their male counterparts; some were brilliant, some did their job and went home and some were horrible and didn't last long. There was zero harassment from within as it flatout wasn't tolerated. Before going in to content creation, I started on the support side as most hopefuls tend to do. In total, I would estimate that we had roughly fifty women between account, technical, and game support. Yes, undeniably, there were cretins who would harass our female employees because of their gender. Those cretins, however, made up about 1% of the total customer base. One percent. 99% of the customer base did not attack them based on their gender. The alleged "widespread harassment" as claimed by the article did not materialize within the five companies or from its customers I worked for over more than twenty years. I also understand this is anecdotal and the plural of "anecdote" is not "data".

I firmly believe that this is a case of "the lady doth protest too much".

Cutter wrote on Jul 1, 2014, 12:55:Without any media and a lot more information I'm not going to get excited yet. This is awesome news, but how many times have we been let down before. Let's just see what the reality is first, mmmkay.

The guy got some of the greatest games of all times to his pedigree. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

So did Richard Garriot and look how well his "return" to PC gaming turned out. A colossal failure of an MMO that burned through more money than most lottery winners have ever seen and now a Portalarium...which has produced a crappy poker game and the promise of an Ultima-like experience in a game called "Shroud of the Avatar".

The jury is still out on how well Chris Roberts and David Braben will do with their finished and released products.

Credit is given where it is due but some of these old codgers really need to realize their glory days are long behind them.

HorrorScope wrote on Jun 28, 2014, 13:37:These are also the true bible thumpers that rake us over the coals trying to decipher the old testament which is in general trumped by the much more peacful and liberal new testament. You stop judging us and let God judge us.

A big ole fat THIS!

What chaps my ass to no end is that these mouth breathing fuckwits allegedly read the Bible but understand NONE of it! Christ literally says "This is the new and everlasting covenant". Anyone with a half a fucking brain understands that his words not only dismiss the old covenant that Abraham had with God, it completely destroys it! The new covenant is based on a very simple premise, and to say it in modern language, that premise is "Don't be a dick; help out when you can, not when its convenient".

Christ himself says NOTHING explicitly about homosexuality and the only person who goes on and on in the New Testament about it is Paul, and that guy was a raging asshole and misogynist. His own words mark him as someone who, even as a disciple, didn't get it.

It's 2014. I live in the Bible Belt. I grew up in the Bible Belt. Who gives a rat's ass what consenting adult you find love, joy and acceptance within? If I had my way, I'd legally demarcate every religion as both a cult and terrorist organization.